Conditioned air distribution system for ship construction



July 13, 195 S. w. BROWN ETAL CONDITIONED AIR DISTRIBUTION SYSTEM FOR SHIP CONSTRUCTION Filed March 18, 1949 FIG.

FIG.3

Patented July 13, 1954 Seymour W. Brown, New York, N. Y., and Robert Tate,"Millbrae, Califi; said Brown assignor to .Garrier. Corporation, Syrac.use,-,l l. .Y., a. corporation of Delaware Application man 18, 1949', serial No. 82,242

6 Claims.

This invention relates to conditioned air distribution systems for ship construction and more particularly to asystem for distributing conditioned air in the public spaces of passenger vessels. a v r The chief object of the present invention is toprovide a conditioned air distribution system for ship constructions in which the plenums of the distribution system are so formed as to fit between the frames of the ship, thereby avoiding a decrease in ceiling heights.

An object of the present invention is to "provide a conditioned air distributing system for ship construction, so designed as to permit conditioned air to be distributed to the'areasto be conditioned at relatively low velocities thus eliminating drafts and uncomfortable conditions in the areas being conditioned.

A further object is to provide a'conditioned air distribution system for ship construction mwhich the plenums are sized to fit between adjacent frames of the ship, each plenum being insulated to render the same fire resistant aswell as to retard leakage and to prevent condensation on onthe plenums. ,jl l

A still further object is to provide 'an air conditioning system for ship construction in which the air distributing membersare combined with an acoustical ceiling, the" perforated covering material of the acoustical ceiling being employed to conceal the plenum while permitting distribution of conditioned air 'therethrough. Other objects of my invention will be readily perceived from the following description.

This invention relates to a'system'ior distributing conditioned air to a plurality of areas of a ship to be conditioned andincludes in combination frames extending horizontally of the ship, a plenum disposed between adjacent frames adapted to discharge conditioned air intoan' area to be conditioned, a duct connecting the plenum with a source of supply of conditioned air, acoustical material adjacent the plenuin 'forming a ceiling for the area to be conditioned, a perforated covering concealing the plenum andthe acoustical material, said covering permitting penetration of sound waves to the acoustical material, said plenum discharging conditioned air downwardly through the perforated covering into the area to be conditioned and meansfor controlling the quantity of air in each plenum. Preferably, deflector blades are provided in each plenum to distribute air in the plenum chamber.

The attached drawing illustrates a,,p "eferred embodiment of our inventionin'which "Figure l is a diagrammatic view of a ship illustre-ting the manner in which the plenums are disposed in the areas to be conditioned;

Figure 2 is a sectional view through a plenum disposed in'position in an area to be conditioned; and

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view illustrating plenums disposed in areas to be conditioned.

Referring to the attached drawing, there is shown a fragmentary portion of a ship designated at 2 provided with the distribution system of the present invention for distributing conditioned air to public spaces of the ship. Ship 2 includes frames 3 extending horizontally thereof serving to support the various decks, for example, decks designated 4 and 5. Preferably such areas are provided with an acoustical ceiling composed of suitable sound absorbing or sound dissipating material 6 and a perforated veneer covering 1 which permits sound waves to penetrate into the sound absorbing material 6 and to be dissipated therein.

Plenums 8' of the distributing system are disposed between adjacent frames 3 and receive conditioned air at low velocity from duct 9 connected'to a suitable source of supply. Ducts 9 may pass below structural members, or the structural members may be so disposed as to permit the ducts to pass therebetween. A volume damper H3 is provided at each plenum as shown in Figure 3 to regulate the quantity of conditioned air in each plenum chamber. Deflector blades II are provided in each plenum chamber to control the distribution or direction of air therein.

Each plenum 8 is disposed between adjacent frames 30f the ship 2, as shown in Figure 2; soplacing the plenum 8 prevents any decrease in ceiling height and eliminates the necessity of providing a false beam or soffet to distribute the air in the area to be conditioned. Preferably each plenum 8 is composed of suitable metal; the sidewalls l2 of each plenum extend outwardly in a horizontal direction as shown at !3 to form a" flange or seat for insulating material l4, as hereinafter described. Each plenum chamber 8 is insulated with material It. Material I pref erably is fire resistant to permit the distribution system to meet the requirements of regulatory bodies. Material 14 also serves to retard heat leakage from the plenum and to prevent condensation of moisture on the exterior of the plenum.

I pointed out above, air is supplied to plenum 8; such an is'distributed through the plenum by blades H and is discharged downwardly at relatively low velocities, for example, approximately 75 feet per minute, through the perforations it in covering 7. S distributing the air eliminates drafts and uncomfortable conditions in the areas being conditioned.

If desired as indicated in dotted outline in Figure 2, each plenum may be provided with a suitable light fixture it.

Preferably, the plenum chamber covering and the acoustical material covering is combined as disclosed above in asingle perforated sheet. By so arranging the distribution of conditioned air within the space to be conditioned any interference of the distribution system with the architectural details of the ship is eliminated. The distribution system provided permits high tem perature differential without discomfort to the occupant and with very low ceiling height. In addition, the structure is fire resistant and complies with Coast Guard requirements. Preferably, the fire resistant material is mounted on the plenum before the plenum is disposed in position in the distribution system thereby decreasing the labor costs and expense of erection of the system.

While we have described the present invention with particular reference to ship constructic-n it will be appreciated the invention may be ut ed successfully in other applications.

The distribution system so provided permits disposition of other architectural and utility features such lighting, fire detection, alarm apparatus or the like without interference therewith and permits such equipment to be located in the design of the structure ithout regard to the ver ilation arrangement.

Our invention provides a satisfactory system for distributing conditioned air to public spaces of passenger vessels, the system being so designed as to permit its utilization without any decrease in ceiling height or provision of a false ceiling which would decrease the cubic space of the area.

We have found that an important advantage of the present invention resides in the elimination of streaking of the ceiling during use. In many types of installations, dirt, lint and the like are entrained from air in the room being conditioned resulting in the ceiling adjacent conventional outlets being streaked with dirt and deposit. The present invention maintains ceilings of the areas being conditioned in vastly better condition from the standpoint of cleanliess than conventional outlets heretofore used.

Wh we have described a preferred embodiment 0. our invention it will be understood that our invention is not so limited since it may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a ship construction including a system for distribut conditioned air to areas of the ship to be cc? litioned, the combination of frames extending horizontally of the ship, enclosed metallic casings, each having an inlet and an outlet, disposed between adjacent frames, and ada d to receive conditioned air through the inlet thereof, from a source of supply, a fire-rent insulating material covering each metallic cas 1g except for the inlet and outlet, acoustical material adjacent the ceiling of each area to be conditioned, said material being coplanar with the outlet of said metallic casing, a perforated covering extending over the outlet of said metallic casing and below said acoustical material, so as to define a plenum chamber with said casing, said covering concealing the acoustical material and the metallic casing so as to porn penetration of sound waves to the acoustical material, said plenum chamber discharging conditioned air at desired velocity downwardly through the perforated covering into the area to be conditioned, and means for controlling the quantity of air in each plenum chamber.

In a system for distributing conditioned air to public spaces of passenger vessels, the combination of frames extending horiaontally of the ship, an enclosed metallic casing having an in let and an outlet, disposed between adjacent frames, and adapted to conditioned air, through the outlet thereof, in a public space of the vessel, a duct connecting the inlet with a source of supply of conditioned air, acoustical material forming the ceiling for the space to be conditioned, a perforated covering extending over the outlet of said metallic casing and below said acoustical material so as U0 define plenum chamber with said casing, said covering permitting penetration of sound waves to the acoustical material, said plenum chamber discharging conditioned air downwardly through the perforated covering into the space to be conditioned, and mean for controlling the quantity of air in the plenum chamber.

3. A system according to claim 2 in which deflector blades are provided in each plenum chamber to control distribution of air in the plenum chamber.

4. A system according to claim 2 in which fireresistant insulating material covers the metallic casing, except for the inlet and outlet thereof.

5. In a system for distributing conditioned air to a plurality of spaces of passenger vessels, the combination of frames extending horizontally of the ship, enclosed metallic casings, each having an inlet and an outlet, disposed between adjacent frames, ducts connecting the inlets of said casings with a source of supply of conditioned air, fire-resistant material covering each metallic casing except for the inlet and outlet, acoustical material in each space disposed adjacent the metal casings therein, and forming a ceiling for the space to be conditioned, perforated coverings extending over the outlets of said metallic casings and below said acoustical material so as to define plenum chambers with said casing, said covering concealing the acoustical material, and permitting penetration of sound waves to the acoustical material, said plenum chambers discharging conditioned air downwardly through the perforated coverings into the areas to be conditioned and volume dampers for regulating the quantity of air in the plenum chambers.

6. In an air conditioned system for distributing conditioned air to a plurality of areas to be conditioned, the combination of enclosed metallic casings, each having an inlet and an outlet, adapted to discharge conditioned air into the areas being conditioned, ducts connecting the inlets of said metallic casings with a source of supply of conditioned air, fire-resistant material covering each metallic casing except for the inlet and outlet, acoustical material in each area disposed adjacent the metallic casing therein and forming a ceiling for the area to be conditioned, means comprising a perforated covering extending over the outlet of said metallic casing and below said acoustical material so as to clefine plenum chambers therewith, said coverings permitting penetration of sound waves to the acoustical material, said plenum chambers discharging conditioned air downwardly through the perforated coverings into the areas to be conditioned and volume dampers for regulating the quantity of air in the plenum chambers.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 6 Name Date Giarth May 28, 1901 Barrs Apr. 8, 1919 Stacey, Jr., et a1. Nov. 27, 1934 Norris Sept. 12, 1939 Norris Sept. 12, 1939 Cosowsky Oct. 8, 1940 Lucius Nov. 12, 1940 Germonprez July 28, 1942 

